University Times

Pittsburgh City Council has approved Pitt's plan to build three 4-story apartment buildings on University-owned property in South Oakland. Council voted 7-0 to approve the project at a meeting Sept. 22. Council members Valerie McDonald and Gene Ricciardi were not present for the vote.

The last formality remaining before Pitt can proceed is Mayor Tom Murphy's signature, which is expected, according to University spokesperson Ken Service. Pitt previously had secured approval from both the Department of City Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Pittsburgh, contingent on city council's okay. The plan calls for the garden-style apartments to be constructed in time for next fall's classes, increasing Pitt's capacity to house undergraduates by 192. The cost of the project is expected to be $5.3 million. Pending future approvals, the University hopes to add 325 more units for fall 2000 and to house about 800 undergraduates in the Oakland Avenue-Sennott Street-South Bouquet Street complex by fall 2001. Currently, Pitt houses 5,153 students on campus.

No groundbreaking date has been set, Service said.

–Peter Hart